New Available Piece by Vince Evans
Mr. Evans has posted another new piece as "coming soon". Straight, flattened diamond cross-section blade. Interesting hint of a guard. Any ideas what this is? Celtic perhaps? :confused:


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Looks like the Cotterdale sword:

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and:

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Don't know about it being specifically the Cotterdale, but it is a Piggott group IV crown hilt/guard. I'm interested to see if the rest of the hilt follows along with the Cotterdale or the Hod Hill look, or it he went after one of the other pommel shapes possible. A quick sale would go a long ways in giving me some confidence back about there being a market for the higher end, well researched swords of this period. The last couple weeks for me have been at a pretty low point, questioning the market and looking for possible jobs. The bulk of the people looking for the highly historically accurate pieces only wanting to pay deepeeka prices; most of the sword collectors seeming to care less about historical accuracy and more about the glitz and glam of things like exotic woods. So needless to say I've had to recently change my own direction in hopes to say in the game a bit longer. Although I'm sure there are enough people just waiting for available sword by Vince that it won't stay around long no matter watch.

Shane
Shane Allee wrote:
Don't know about it being specifically the Cotterdale, but it is a Piggott group IV crown hilt/guard. I'm interested to see if the rest of the hilt follows along with the Cotterdale or the Hod Hill look, or it he went after one of the other pommel shapes possible. A quick sale would go a long ways in giving me some confidence back about there being a market for the higher end, well researched swords of this period. The last couple weeks for me have been at a pretty low point, questioning the market and looking for possible jobs. The bulk of the people looking for the highly historically accurate pieces only wanting to pay deepeeka prices; most of the sword collectors seeming to care less about historical accuracy and more about the glitz and glam of things like exotic woods. So needless to say I've had to recently change my own direction in hopes to say in the game a bit longer. Although I'm sure there are enough people just waiting for available sword by Vince that it won't stay around long no matter watch.

Shane


As you note I'm not sure that a quick sale would say as much about the market for early period stuff as it would say about the demand for Vince Evan's pieces. I've wondered about that market niche that you were/are tooling up for as I would think that for every customer interested in early period items there would be 5-10 interested in medieval items whether European or Japanese.
Russ Ellis wrote:
Shane Allee wrote:
Don't know about it being specifically the Cotterdale, but it is a Piggott group IV crown hilt/guard. I'm interested to see if the rest of the hilt follows along with the Cotterdale or the Hod Hill look, or it he went after one of the other pommel shapes possible. A quick sale would go a long ways in giving me some confidence back about there being a market for the higher end, well researched swords of this period. The last couple weeks for me have been at a pretty low point, questioning the market and looking for possible jobs. The bulk of the people looking for the highly historically accurate pieces only wanting to pay deepeeka prices; most of the sword collectors seeming to care less about historical accuracy and more about the glitz and glam of things like exotic woods. So needless to say I've had to recently change my own direction in hopes to say in the game a bit longer. Although I'm sure there are enough people just waiting for available sword by Vince that it won't stay around long no matter watch.

Shane


As you note I'm not sure that a quick sale would say as much about the market for early period stuff as it would say about the demand for Vince Evan's pieces. I've wondered about that market niche that you were/are tooling up for as I would think that for every customer interested in early period items there would be 5-10 interested in medieval items whether European or Japanese.


I would agree with Russ that for every customer into the early period there are 5-10 for quality Medieval period and a 100 for cheaper sword varying from decent to really bad cheesy wallhanger.

In a very specialized niche the meeting of maker and purchaser can be slow and unpredictable, this doesn't help much as far as putting money in the bank but you shouldn't consider slow sales as a reflection on the high quality of your work.

Just trying to boost your morale. :D Strategically doing some pieces for more popular periods or using some of these ancient patterns or elements of such as a basis for " fantasy " pieces: Sort of " Stealth " historical marketed as " Lord of the Ring " type stuff. :p :lol:

" Little did the client know that his fantasy piece is actually a close copy of a Dark Ages sword " Give them what they want while making what you like to make. " Just and idea. ;)
IMO when you want to do something as specialized as Iron Age blades, you have to create your own market, rather then wait for it. Most people simply aren't very familiar with it, so their interest has to be awakened and nurtured. Make cool stuff, show cool stuff, and get people to notice that the material from that period is actually exceptionally cool. Sooner or later people will come towards you that will want to buy your swords.

Just look at what happened with bronze age stuff for example. A couple of years ago, only very few people were even familiar with them. There's now a pretty large group of bronze age enthusiasts (nearly a hundred members now over at Bronze Age Center!) , only because that small group of bronze addicts started showing around cool shiney stuff. I've personally just started to get involved in early iron age living history (Hallstatt). This is a period that so far has received almost no attention yet (aside from the German Hallstatt group). And I wanna bet that in a few years time there will be quite a few people wanting to have their own Gundlingen and Mindelheim swords! :) Well, the Gundlingen is already getting quite popular, since Neil Burridge started producing them (see http://www.templeresearch.eclipse.co.uk/bronz...r_sale.htm ). And I haven't even been showing around what the fully finished piece looks like (which will be finished in a couple of days). Before he started producting bronze swords, there wasn't much of a market for them. But the more people get his swords and show around with them, the more people start getting interested in them!
And now it's already marked sold :)
Nathan Robinson wrote:
And now it's already marked sold :)

But is that because of the piece, itself? Or because it is a Vince Evans piece? I am still anxious to see it in finished form.
I've noticed that Vince Evans often contacts perspective buyers before he offers a piece up for sale to the public. For instance, several months ago I contacted Vince about a commission. He told me that he is no longer taking orders but that he really liked the piece in which I was interested. He asked me if I wanted him to contact me if he decided to make the sword in question so that I could have first crack at it (naturally I said YES!) He seems to have a few years worth of swords to make before he could even consider making the one I asked about, but it's nice to know that I might get a surprise e-mail from Vince someday.
Vince has put up a few new shots of this celtic sword, and a real beauty it is !

Mac

Blade Length 21 inches, OAL 26 inches. Weight 1 lb. 3.5 oz.
Composite pattern welded blade. Inspired by originals in the Museum of Scotland.



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Last edited by Thomas McDonald on Mon 24 Apr, 2006 5:33 pm; edited 2 times in total
Thanks, Mac. That is a great looking sword.
Thomas McDonald wrote:
Vince has put up a few new shots of this celtic sword, and a real beauty it is !

Mac

Blade Length 21 inches, OAL 26 inches. Weight 1 lb. 3.5 oz.
Composite pattern welded blade. Inspired by originals in the Museum of Scotland.


Now that's interesting... I really want to talk to him now about the source for his scabbard inspiration. I have a couple of pictures that he might be interested in... did I mention I can't WAIT for blade? :)
Russ Ellis wrote:
Thomas McDonald wrote:
Vince has put up a few new shots of this celtic sword, and a real beauty it is !

Mac

Blade Length 21 inches, OAL 26 inches. Weight 1 lb. 3.5 oz.
Composite pattern welded blade. Inspired by originals in the Museum of Scotland.


Now that's interesting... I really want to talk to him now about the source for his scabbard inspiration. I have a couple of pictures that he might be interested in... did I mention I can't WAIT for blade? :)


So, does that mean you are the buyer / owner of this sword :?: :?: :?: If, yes ! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Or does this mean seeing it in " Blade " magazine and I just jumped to conclusions ? ( Or I should read previous posts more carefully :blush: )
Jean Thibodeau wrote:

So, does that mean you are the buyer / owner of this sword :?: :?: :?: If, yes ! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Or does this mean seeing it in " Blade " magazine and I just jumped to conclusions ? ( Or I should read previous posts more carefully :blush: )


LOL sadly no, I could only wish. My interests run more to high medieval and while I hope (this is never going to happen) Mr. Evans calls me up on the phone and tells me he has just finished up a medieval hand and a half and am I interested to date that has not happened. :) What I meant was I am intrigued by the scabbard and would like to compare sources with him, something I will be able to do at the Blade show in Atlanta in June.
Here is one of the originals that, in-part, helped to inspire Vince's beautiful Celtic piece !

* Photo(s) T. McDonald, 2005. - shot at The Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.


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Interesting, I wonder what the handle is... it all seems to be there something I would not expect if it were organic material especially considering the condition of the blade...
Russ Ellis wrote:
Interesting, I wonder what the handle is... it all seems to be there something I would not expect if it were organic material especially considering the condition of the blade...


Would horn degrade like other organic materials? Maybe it's just bakelite...(geez, I'm watching too much Antiques Roadshow)! :lol:
Steve Maly wrote:
Russ Ellis wrote:
Interesting, I wonder what the handle is... it all seems to be there something I would not expect if it were organic material especially considering the condition of the blade...


Would horn degrade like other organic materials? Maybe it's just bakelite...(geez, I'm watching too much Antiques Roadshow)! :lol:


LOL! Chalk up another invention to those ancient Celts. :) I believe horn is nearly as perishable as wood, can anyone else comment?

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